On a recent quick trip to Florida, Anthony met up with his beautiful and wonderful relatives, Aunt Polly and cousin Anna.
In being on vacation with lots to do, the expectation was that the visit would be brief but would be great nonetheless. All in all, the visit surprisingly lasted more than 5 hours! Why? Hospitality.
Restaurants can boil down to such a numbers game. We fret about staffing, quality, waste, and profitability to name a few. So often we lose sight of what is at the root of the hospitality industry, the hospitality itself.
There is such a difference between walking into a restaurant and walking into a restaurant that is truly appreciative of you being there. Setting the hospitable tone early and carrying it through your guests’ entire experience is a sure-fire way to not only ensure they have an amazing time but also to ensure they will come back for more!
At 92 and 86 years young respectively, Polly and Anna still entertain friends and family more than often, and in fact, Polly only aspires to have a full table of smiling faces. It’s that pleasing people that drives her…that service and that tending to others’ needs for her own satisfaction. At some point, most of us were fueled by the same…hell, it is a lot of the reason we do what we do in the first place.
We in the business could take a few notes from these two dynamos. While they are not in business, their sense of hospitality is off the charts. Anna’s secret? You just have to love them. At all costs, love them! By putting their guests first, they then become fulfilled. The same applies to your restaurant, but fulfillment not only takes the form of pleasing guests but also through increased business.
In a world with a business-first mentality, focusing on the most amazing hospitality serves as a major competitive advantage, and you may just find yourself enjoying the ride a bit more. Smiling faces and truly appreciative guests tend to fuel a very positive, feel-good fire within.
It seems a lot of the industry is losing sight of why we are in business in the first place. Take a note from Polly and Anna – serve others first and the rest will come!
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